


Per Week

by Koschei_Oakdown



Category: Green Lantern - All Media Types
Genre: Eating, M/M, Swimming, Valentine's Day, heat exhaustion
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-14
Updated: 2020-02-20
Packaged: 2021-02-28 02:08:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,807
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22705990
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Koschei_Oakdown/pseuds/Koschei_Oakdown
Summary: A fated meeting between Hal and Sinestro sends them off on the most perfect of weeks.
Relationships: Hal Jordan/Thaal Sinestro
Comments: 18
Kudos: 23





	1. 14th of February

**Author's Note:**

> Credit to DC Comics

Glass shattered around Hal as he was tossed through the window and he smashed into the ground with a significant amount of force. It left him dazed and struggling to focus.

While Hal lay there, he could do nothing but stare at the ceiling and it was that which distracted him, for pink was everywhere. It was like Hal had been tossed into a magenta cave of crystals or a field of flowers the same colour. There was no escaping the obnoxious shade, no matter where Hal looked.

After Hal had blinked several times, it became clear that he had in fact, landed in some commercial human building. Though why there was so much pink, he had no idea. Maybe the owner just liked that colour.

A concerned face appeared in Hal's field of vision, slicing through the unending wall of similarly coloured decoration. It was a relief, to be honest, and Hal lifted a hand in a brief acknowledging wave. "Sorry about the window," he said. "Just dealing with a… little problem. I'll be out of here soon enough." Right now would be best.

It was quiet while Hal heaved himself up into a sitting position, then the civilian said awkwardly, "Happy Valentine's Day."

This caught Hal by surprise and his gaze was quickly drawn to the pink decorations around him. It all made sense now. If he hadn't been distracted fighting love crazed Lanterns, he might've even figured it out sooner.

Grinning now, Hal nodded his thanks. "Happy Valentine's Day," he responded. As it was something he usually had very little time for, he enjoyed being friendly with the people in his city.

A new shattering crash split the air behind Hal and presumably, it had split the window too. Reacting instinctively, Hal threw himself at the civilian and knocked them to the ground so he could shield them with his body. It worked. Small bits of glass rained down on Hal's back like hail, his ring the only thing preventing injury.

When the glass settled, it was most likely safe to move and Hal glanced around. The Star Sapphire he'd been fighting lay unmoving on the ground while Sinestro hovered above her in a jagged frame of broken glass. Frankly, he looked amazing. Winning such a fight had caused him no visible exertion.

"Have you ever seen anything more magnificent?" Hal murmured to the civilian he'd rescued, though he couldn't take his eyes off Sinestro. The question was rhetorical. Of course there was nothing more magnificent.

The civilian just looked confused and with a jolt, Hal understood why that was. Right. Sinestro was evil. Not magnificent.

Hal didn't care. It didn't matter what the civilian thought anyway, since they were running off and leaving Hal alone with Sinestro. Every event of the day had to have built up to this moment. The chance meeting with Sinestro, fighting side by side, and even what day it was. "It's fate," Hal decided aloud, and he smiled.

***

Humans ran wildly in all directions, no doubt fleeing from the destructive force in the middle of the road. She glowed with violet light, a Star Sapphire hovering in the sky and looking out over those fleeing.

Just why a Star Sapphire would be here, Thaal had no idea. He could take a guess though. This was the city of Hal Jordan. She was here for him.

The idea caused Sinestro to bristle. It was insulting to him that this Star Sapphire could think to hold Hal's attention while he, Sinestro, was around. Clearly, this fool of a Lantern needed to be taught a lesson. And Sinestro would be the one to teach it.

Decision made, Sinestro started forward. Only to stop as a green streak dropped out of the sky and landed smoothly beside him.

There was a pause. Then, "Sinestro?" as Hal noticed him. "What are you doing here?" All of Hal's attention was focused solely on Sinestro with the Star Sapphire left forgotten in the background.

Smirking to himself, Sinestro indicated to the Star Sapphire. "Simply removing this little problem. And yourself?" It was obvious. There were two enemy Lanterns in the street and Hal was all tensed up for a fight. But which was he here for?

After a pause, and a wary look around him, Hal responded slowly, "I'm here for her too. No one causes trouble in my city." He set his hands on his hips.

The answer opened the perfect opportunity to avoid fighting with Hal - by focusing their combined energies elsewhere. "In that case, shall we join forces? This will end far quicker if we do not fight over who indeed will take down this Star Sapphire."

Hal was nodding, apparently agreeing with the words. "Excellent," Sinestro said. He reached out and turned Hal in the direction the human should go. "Get on her other side and distract her. I will take her out."

There was no time for Hal to offer a protest, though Thaal could guess he wanted to. It was a rare day when Hal followed his orders without questions.

Leaving Hal in an instant, Sinestro stalked around to the perfect ambush site. Already, he was planning his attack and just how precisely the Star Sapphire would be taken down. Each move would have brutal efficiency.

To Sinestro's satisfaction, after a second of hesitation, Hal did as he was told and approached the Star Sapphire from the direction indicated. She turned to face the oncoming Green Lantern and tossed him across the street. A loud crash rang out as a window was destroyed, and Sinestro struck.

It all went according to plan. With several carefully placed strikes, Sinestro had confused and dazed the Star Sapphire and to top it all off, he tossed her through the window after Hal. Then, just in case she was still conscious, he followed after her.

Not a move did the Star Sapphire make. She was in no fit state to keep fighting. It was a very pleasing accomplishment and perhaps now the Star Sapphire Corps would know they had no right to cause destruction in this place while Sinestro was around.

When Sinestro looked to Hal, the human appeared to be fine. More than fine, in fact, considering the wide grin spread over his lips. "It's fate."

Interested in the reasoning behind such a statement, Sinestro quirked an eyebrow in Hal's direction. "Oh?" he said. Now the Star Sapphire had been taken out, Thaal was feeling a whole lot more relaxed. There was no one to compete with here, no one to disrupt whatever plans he might wish to carry out.

Without much hesitation, Hal got to his feet and brushed tiny pieces of glass off of his body. "Yeah," he sighed his confirmation in one long exhale. Then his eyes fixed on Sinestro. "Go out with me."

In moments like this, there was no word to describe Hal other than ridiculous. Radically ridiculous.

Two windows had been destroyed, humans were still fleeing in terror and a Star Sapphire lay unconscious between Hal and Sinestro. She needed to be dealt with. And yet here Hal was, irresponsibly paying it all no mind. None of it mattered to him.

What answer could be given in response, other than one just as ridiculous? That was Sinestro's thought process as he landed on the mess of a ground before Hal. "Very well," was his answer.

***

Half the universe away was where they ended up, in a place where none knew of Lanterns or the other things that tended to complicate matters. It was peaceful, unlike Earth had been, nor any other place. And Hal was taking full advantage of that.

Amused, Sinestro watched as Hal shovelled food into his mouth at a breakneck speed. Did he not get fed on that backwater planet of his? It seemed likely judging by his table manners, but Thaal couldn't know for sure.

Once, he would've known. There would've been no escaping the knowledge of everything Hal had eaten that day, and everything else he might've done as well. Hal would have happily said it all, rambling on until Thaal was lost in the pleasant rhythm of his voice. Now though, they were far more separated and neither had time for such indulgences.

At long last, Hal had cleared his plate, and the frantic scraping of fork against ceramic dish ended. "I must ask," Sinestro then spoke, a lilting playful note to his voice, "was your intention in this simply to garner free food from me?"

Hal choked on a laugh, or perhaps on the food still in his mouth, but either way, he started coughing. "I'm not that desperate," he finally got out. "I can get food from somewhere else, you know." 

That seemed doubtful as Thaal had already decided Hal was being starved back on Earth. "I don't mind," Sinestro was quick to assure. If Hal wished to eat, he should. And in fact, Sinestro could even help him with that.

With a quick glance down, Sinestro pushed towards Hal the half empty plate that had been in front of him. The tips of his fingers were warmed by contact with the dish. "You may have mine, if you want it. I have eaten all I require." Fighting the Star Sapphire hadn't been much of a drain on his energy so he had not felt exceedingly hungry after.

It was gratifying when Hal pulled the plate farther towards himself and began to scoff that food down too with a pleased expression. Perhaps, if Thaal maneuvered himself correctly, he could make this a more common occurrence.

As soon as Hal had taken his first few bites of the food on Sinestro's plate, his face flushed with colour and his eyes went wide. His hand scrambled around for a bit before snatching up his glass of water and he downed it in several gulps. Sinestro again watched, this time with concern.

When Hal set the glass back on the table, Sinestro took the opportunity to inquire, "You do not like my taste in food here?" Actually, now he thought of it, he and Hal did tend to clash in that area.

For a brief moment, Hal looked panicked. "No, it's fine," he said quickly - an obvious lie. Nevertheless, he picked his fork back up and had another bite.

This time, Hal's glass was empty when he frantically reached for it so Sinestro offered his own instead. "Perhaps you should consider not eating any more," he suggested. "Or I could get you something else?" He took back his plate regardless of what Hal's answer would be and tasted the food. To him, it was fine.

With the back of his hand, Hal wiped the last traces of water from his mouth, then he stood up. "I'm good," he said. "Let's get out of here. Unless you want to keep eating?"

To be honest, Thaal had no preference about what they would end up doing. It was bound to be interesting either way with Hal around. Still, he was curious. "What exactly do you have in mind?"

"I don't know." Hal shrugged. "But we're bound to find something. It's a big universe out there, after all."

When Hal smiled, his entire face lit up. The curve of his lips and the sparkle in his eyes were accented by the delight in the rest of his body as well. He was stunning to look at, and it only ended when he turned away, like a light going off.

Sinestro quickly followed after Hal, and the two of them stood outside together, scanning their surroundings and basking in the afternoon sun.

Suddenly, Hal grasped Sinestro's elbow and yanked him close. "It's a mountain, Thaal," Hal said excitedly, pointing to it. There was indeed a mountain, though perhaps it was more like a steep hill, not too far in the distance. "Let's climb it."

Once again, Thaal thought of how ridiculous Hal could be, and of the ridiculous answer he was going to give in return anyway. Because really, what reason existed that prevented them from doing exactly what Hal wanted?

***

As Hal leaned his weight against the cliff face, a small hard object dug into his hip bone. Probably his ring, Hal decided. He'd shoved it into a pocket before starting the climb, just so he could have the threat of death looming over him. It was more fun that way.

Not too far above Hal, Sinestro paused and glanced back. Maybe he'd noticed Hal had stopped and wondered at the cause.

Smiling reflexively, Hal lifted his hand in a brief wave to Sinestro. Other than that though, he didn't move. It was hot and he could feel his heart racing, pounding against his rib cage. He just needed a moment to catch his breath before he would be able to continue.

They were very high up now and while it wasn't enough to limit Hal's oxygen intake, he was tired from travelling so far in the first place. Still he wasn't about to give up. The top of the mountain, his desired goal, was in reach.

Small stones shifted and slid under Sinestro's weight as he climbed down to Hal, creating a harsh gravelly sound. Even when he'd stopped, dropping lightly beside Hal, it took a few seconds for the path he'd taken to settle down again. It was distracting and so Hal offered Sinestro a quick glance.

One of Sinestro's hands was tangled in long grass above his head, keeping him flush against the cliff. The other hand was held out to Hal. Delicately clutched between two fingers was a single bright flower.

"For you," Sinestro said, his gaze unwavering on Hal. The flower couldn't possibly match the intensity of that stare.

Nevertheless, Hal smiled again and took the flower. It was very pretty, though he did have to wonder if it was an evil flower that would do something terrible to him. That did seem like something Sinestro would find.

This day hadn't turned out anything like Hal had expected upon waking up that morning. No, it was better. That wasn't to say he didn't enjoy his usual routine - he loved it, in fact. But Sinestro's interruption had a way of changing everything for him. 

"Thank you," Hal said, and he only wondered after, when Sinestro nodded and moved back to continue the climb, if the sincerity was obvious in his voice.

It would have been so easy for Sinestro to decline all of this. That he hadn't was something Hal was incredibly grateful for, even if it meant he was going to have trouble severing himself from Sinestro once more. He had no other options. This could never last.

But, Hal decided as he tucked the flower away into his pocket beside his ring, he did not have to start pulling away from Sinestro now. So he scrambled after the Korugarian, determined not to be parted from him.

***

Not long after was when Hal finally reached the top and he was left satisfied by his accomplishment. It proved to him that he did not in fact need his ring for everything.

That wasn't the only reward however, and Hal turned to gaze out over everything he could see now he was at a higher altitude. It was unlike flying for he could not change his position to view the scene from a different angle, but it was still frankly quite exhilarating.

There was very little sign of civilisation below. Only the occasional unnaturally shaped object marred the otherwise sharp beauty of the landscape and not one person was in sight.

A soft breath escaped Hal's lips and it was like any remaining tension he'd had eased out with that breath. "I think that was worth it," he said brightly.

"Indeed," Sinestro responded, drawing Hal's gaze. The Korugarian was facing away from him, taking in the view on the other side of the mountain instead. He made quite the figure, outlined against the smooth gradient of the sky.

Without fully realising what he was doing or what his intentions were, Hal made his way over to stand by Sinestro. Only then did he hesitate. The last few hours had been wonderful and everything he could've hoped for. Being with Sinestro was so freeing for him and really, it had made his day. Was it wrong or selfish or greedy to want more?

Even if it was, Hal couldn't bring himself to care. Not right then, blood thrumming with adrenaline. He'd think about the consequences of his actions later.

When Hal reached out though, Sinestro twisted, caught his wrist and used that grip to pull him dangerously close. "I'm admiring the view, Jordan," Sinestro chastised while Hal froze. "Don't interrupt."

Uncertain and confused, Hal frantically tried to work out what he was supposed to do now. Was this Sinestro's way of rejecting him? Or was he just messing with Hal's head? It was hard to work anything out when Hal was distracted by the detail he could make out in Sinestro's features and the fingers that had ahold of his wrist. 

Eventually, Hal wet his lips and said, "I'm admiring the view too. I just didn't have to climb all the way up here to see it." In a very deliberate way, he eyed up Sinestro.

So maybe Hal hadn't been totally serious with his comment, really only trying to alleviate any irritation Sinestro might've been feeling towards him. Now though, he really was more interested in Sinestro than in nature. It was rare to spend so much time in Sinestro's personal space without fighting him. And Hal didn't want it to end.

All of a sudden, it was terribly difficult not to go straight back to reaching out. Hal didn't care where his fingers landed, as long as they were on Sinestro and retracing every protruding bone, every slim muscle.

One eyebrow was quirked at Hal and Sinestro's expression was amused. "Is that so?" he questioned, smirking now. No doubt he enjoyed the compliment.

Hal resisted the urge to roll his eyes and just smiled instead. Then his wrist was released and he could finally move past that last barrier, resting his hands on Sinestro's sides. No further action was taken to stop Hal. So he didn't stop himself either.

Both of Hal's hands slid up, feeling the multiple bumps of Sinestro's ribs. They shifted with every breath, pressing against Hal's fingertips and palms, and he couldn't wait any longer. His arms criss crossed over Sinestro's back and pulled him close.

There, Hal buried his nose in Sinestro's neck and felt enveloped by him. He didn't even need the arms wrapping around his own back in return. "I don't want to stop," he murmured.

The pressure of Sinestro's chest against his own was hard, but in a good way. If their bones ground together and they prevented each other from breathing because of it, Hal wouldn't even care. It would all be worth it to feel this completed.

In Sinestro's voice when he replied was something different, something thick and with that low barely there current of emotion. "I don't want you to," was what he said.

But Hal shook his head because for once, he wasn't thinking about the present. His thumb stroked over Sinestro's shoulder blade. If only he could do that again and again and never have any end to it. But he couldn't. It would have to stop eventually. All of this would have to stop eventually. There was no way out of it.

Frustration rose inside Hal, infecting each of his muscles until he was tense once more. "I don't want to stop," he repeated with that tension on his tongue and his tone coloured by his frustration. Why couldn't Sinestro just understand and give him what he wanted? Or did he know it was hopeless too?

Fingers gripped into Hal's hair and tugged his head back, forcing his gaze up. "I don't want you to." It was all but a growl and Hal laughed then. Of course Sinestro understood. It helped little though, and that was why Hal's laugh was bitter and hopeless. That was why it was quickly muffled and Hal moaned softly into Sinestro's mouth.

At some point, Hal could no longer keep standing and he fell into the spiky alien grass underneath him, pulling Sinestro along too. It was uncomfortable, but still better than anything else Hal could imagine. This was what he wanted and he couldn't have it any other way.


	2. 20th of February

The skin of Hal's back was warm and pliable. That was what Thaal took note of as he spread sunscreen across it. To massage the cool soothing substance into such heated flesh was almost relaxing in a way. It made him feel useful how he usually wasn't.

As Sinestro slid his hands and therefore the sunscreen up to Hal's neck, Hal tilted his head to the side and sighed. "This isn't necessary, you know," he murmured but wasn't reproachful. "I won't die from sunburn." Short strands of Hal's hair trailed in the sunscreen and Thaal had to gently pull them aside.

At first, sure, Hal had been a little exasperated by Sinestro's insistence he protect himself in the sun. Danger was never a concern of Hal's. Now though, he was perfectly content to relax under Sinestro's ministrations.

"Allow me my… worry for you," Sinestro responded in an equally low voice. His nose tucked in behind Hal's ear. "Humans can be very fragile." And especially Hal, as Thaal had learned from experience. Even now, it would be so easy to tighten his hands around Hal's throat and choke the life from him. Hal wasn't on guard.

Yet Thaal didn't even seriously consider the idea of murdering Hal. Why should he when he had Hal exactly where he wanted him?

Because of the sunscreen on Hal's neck, the skin there glistened and that added a strange look to what Thaal would usually know so well. It was brighter, shinier, and somehow seemed to soothe the imperfections that Thaal always found so fascinating to look at in Hal's skin. What would it be like, he wondered, to fix his mouth over that spot?

Reason reasserted itself for Sinestro then. Obviously, were he to taste Hal's neck in this state, he would be greeted only by the sharp bitter chemicals of the sunscreen smeared there.

Hal snorted and turned his head slightly, nose coming into contact with Sinestro's cheek. "Fragile? I'll show you fragile. I could take you down any day." There was no lack of confidence there.

"Perhaps," Sinestro agreed and now he was facing Hal so they were nose to nose. "No doubt you could take down the sun that burns you if you wished to. But" - and here his hand lifted to cup Hal's jaw, heedless of the sunscreen on both of their skins - "let us not take unnecessary risks. Destroying the sun will not help if it has already burned you."

At that, Hal's brow furrowed, at least until he slowly nodded. "Yeah," he said and his head lifted, giving Sinestro a brief moment of eye contact. The brown of Hal's irises was incomparable to all other shades of the colour.

Once Hal was on his feet, he stretched, arms above his head, and he turned to offer a hand to Sinestro. After a pause, Sinestro took it and allowed himself to be pulled up. There was no good reason to refuse.

In the days that Sinestro and Hal had been together, they had grown closer and closer. Spending so much time with Hal had profoundly impacted Sinestro. There was little he wanted more than to continue on in this same manner.

Leaving Sinestro behind him, Hal headed to the edge of the pool and dived in without warning. Water splashed in all directions. It was unexpected and Sinestro was forced to quickly step back to avoid being splashed. "Was that really necessary?" he asked. Hal just grinned up at him.

It was impossible to be irritated with Hal, especially when Hal appeared to be so happy. Therefore Sinestro just shook his head and moved to sit at the edge of the pool. He tilted his head back and caught the sun on his face. His eyes were closed but he still listened out for whatever Hal might've been doing.

There was a bit of splashing about before Hal went quiet. Eventually, he surfaced somewhere near Sinestro's elbow. "You planning to swim with me?"

One of Sinestro's eyes cracked open and he used it to peer at Hal. Every strand of Hal's hair was drenched in what was most likely freezing cold water and it made him look just a little silly.

Smirking to himself, Sinestro shook his head. "No, I don't think so. My blood prefers to run through my veins and not be turned into a glacier." He turned a cynical gaze onto the rippling water which made him shiver to just imagine the chill it would cause him. It was all wet and disgusting, would ruin his hair too. That was the last thing he needed.

Hal laughed fully, clutching onto the side of the pool as he doubled over. "It's not that cold," he finally said after wiping the back of his hand over his mouth. "But it's not supposed to be hot either. The point of it is to cool you down, Thaal. Aren't you hot?"

Sinestro shook his head in one sharp denying movement. It was true. But then again, Hal had different biology to him. No doubt it was another matter for humans.

And indeed, as Sinestro studied Hal closely, he could see signs of the heat. Though Hal still glistened with sunscreen, he appeared hot and flushed. Perhaps then, Thaal should allow him to return to the cold liquid he swam in.

When Sinestro stood up, Hal grasped him by the ankle. With just one tug, Hal could quite easily unsettle Sinestro's balance and bring him down into the pool. That seemed unlikely however. It was not in Hal's nature to force others to do as he wished them to.

"Where are you going?" Hal asked and released his fingers from around Sinestro's limb. There was something in his eyes. Disappointment maybe.

It amused Thaal to consider the idea that Hal might think he was leaving more permanently than he intended. If anyone were to leave prematurely, it would be Hal. There were things Hal had managed to devote himself to other than staying with Sinestro, even if they were far away now, and they would come to claim Hal eventually.

With one lazy finger, Sinestro indicated to the building they had exited not too long ago. "No doubt our hosts have a beverage or something similar to help you defend against the heat. I will return shortly." And in the meantime, he would just have to hope Hal wouldn't manage to drown or keel over from the heat that so tormented him.

Hal didn't look totally comforted. "Well, alright," he said nevertheless. "Don't pick any fights without me." He flicked a finger against Sinestro's calf and then smiled up at him. It appeared the two of them had been thinking much along the same lines. Of the safety of the other.

***

Water flowed all around Hal's limbs as he flipped over in the center of the pool and dived down. His fingers just brushed the cold bottom before he headed upwards once more.

The moment Hal's head lifted above the water, the sun beamed down on him with an almost unbearable heat. Yet he ignored it, too busy searching for any sign of Sinestro's return. There were none. Only the shadows cast by sunlight which elongated as time ticked by.

Unease flickered over Hal but he pushed it away. Sinestro could take care of himself. It was highly unlikely he'd run into any trouble he couldn't handle. Which meant Hal's alternative concern had even more merit.

What if Sinestro had decided to just up and abandon him? No goodbye, no warning, just a disappearance that Hal wouldn't discover until too late.

On edge, Hal swam to the other side of the pool and then back again, hoping to drown out his thoughts with the splashing of water. It did not succeed. The worst thing about Sinestro leaving him behind was how stupid Hal would feel after. He'd known Sinestro couldn't be trusted yet had allowed this to happen anyway.

Hal's arms were burning with the effort of pulling himself through the water so he stopped and slumped against the nearest edge. "If you have such an interest in lessening the heat, would it not be best to cut down on exerting activities?" Sinestro asked and Hal couldn't help but smile as a wave of relief washed over him. So he hadn't been abandoned after all.

Shoulders tightening and drawing together, Hal turned his head in the direction of that voice. It seemed that he'd swum straight past Sinestro who was seated once more at the edge of the pool.

Now he had confirmation that it was indeed Sinestro who was there, who had spoken, Hal's grin widened and he pushed back into the water. "I'm not going to give up things I enjoy just to be safe." He swam over to Sinestro. "Luckily for you."

Sinestro just smirked at him before holding out a bowl that had been settled in his lap. Interested, Hal used his arms to lift himself out of the pool so he could sit beside Sinestro. Water dripped from his body and formed into a large puddle encircling him that continuously spread out, though at a slower and slower rate.

Once again, Sinestro offered the bowl to Hal. Before taking it, Hal tried to dry his hands by wiping them on his thighs but it didn't really work. So he just shrugged and took the bowl anyway.

Since his hands were a little slippery, the bowl almost slipped out of them. Making a faint noise of alarm, Hal just managed to keep it within his grip. The spoon plonked into the pool though.

Disappointed, Hal pulled a face to show exactly what he was feeling. At his side, Sinestro laughed. It wasn't an unkind sound and Hal didn't take offense because, well, it had been kind of funny. And besides, he enjoyed the small glow of pleasure that came from hearing such a carefree sound.

It was only when Sinestro rested his head on Hal's shoulder that Hal froze and wasn't too sure what he should do. "You always find a way to surprise me," Sinestro murmured to him.

That made Hal smile and he put aside his bowl so he could run his fingers through Sinestro's hair. "I wasn't trying to," he replied.

Because of the heat, Sinestro's hair was very hot but that was counteracted by the water coating Hal's fingers. Besides, it wasn't much different from everything else around. The surface Hal was sitting on and the air he breathed in were both scorching.

Hal glanced to the side and winced as he noticed the contents of the bowl had taken on a more liquidised form. "It's melting!" Quickly, he pulled his hand away from Sinestro and picked up the bowl instead. After a moment of hesitation, he placed his lips to the edge and drank the contents like he would from a cup.

It was actually quite good. To Hal, it tasted unsurprisingly somewhat like ice cream, although warmer and with an undeniable alien quality.

When the bowl was empty, Hal was a little disappointed. "That was nice," he told Sinestro, setting the bowl aside. "Thanks." Already though, the cooling effects were wearing off.

Sinestro said nothing, just inclined his head in acknowledgement and glanced away. Hal remembered then how worried he'd been when Sinestro had been taking so long to return. It seemed too accusatory to ask outright about it though. 

"Did, uh -" Hal broke off to clear his throat and think over what he wanted to say. Satisfied, he continued, "Did anything… interesting happen? While you were gone?" The amused expression Sinestro gave him told Hal it probably would've been better to go with the accusatory route. Sinestro could see right through him.

"I think," Sinestro said then, and his face turned more serious, "I was recognised. Though I cannot be sure. Perhaps we should consider moving on from here."

Over the past week, the two of them had used their combined knowledge of the universe to stay well away from areas most affected by Lantern battles. That someone would recognise either one of them was highly unlikely. But not impossible.

A concern occurred to Hal then and his gaze dropped. "Did you kill them?" he asked, voice barely audible. Already, his mind was racing, trying to figure out how he could've stopped it.

"Of course not." Sinestro sounded offended and Hal let out a quick relieved breath. "That would've only drawn more attention. Honestly, Jordan, use your head. Sinestro would never be so foolish."

Foolishness wasn't what Hal had worried about. But he said nothing further on the subject, just moved to lay his head on Sinestro's lap with his legs stretched out along the edge of the pool. It would've been easy for Sinestro to kill someone. And Hal would've been in no position to stop it.

***

Without stirring once, Hal slept, and Sinestro amused himself watching the water dry on Hal's skin. It wasn't long before sweat was replacing it however. The intense heat just wouldn't let up for Hal.

Sitting there under the unforgiving rays with only his thoughts for company was not something Thaal disliked. He was reluctant to interrupt it. Yet he was beginning to feel worried for Hal.

While Hal's skin did still glisten with sunscreen and Thaal could feel the substance on his finger when he touched Hal's shoulder, being burned wasn't the only danger Hal was facing. Most creatures were made to fit one planet and one planet only. To travel to another always invited trouble for even the slightest difference could become a killer.

For Sinestro, he could feel the difference in the air he breathed. It tasted strange and he just knew it would drive him crazy if he stayed too long.

There was of course, the option of using his power ring to combat the natural effects of the planet. It could synthesise an atmosphere much more to his pleasing. The problem was that it would also use ring energy and that kind of power could be detectable. If he wanted to hide, his ring had to remain dormant.

Now though, that didn't matter. As Sinestro examined Hal's quickened breath and the sickly pallor his skin had taken on, it became clear to him that keeping Hal comfortable was more important than hiding. It was more important than anything.

The yellow energy settled over Hal before disappearing and the human took a large shuddering breath. His nose nuzzled into Sinestro's thigh and the tension in his body eased somewhat.

"Hal," Sinestro called softly, shaking the human's shoulder. It would be best, he was sure, to get Hal out of the sun and see if that would also improve his condition.

There was no response. Narrowing his eyes because he always hated to be ignored, Sinestro shook Hal's shoulder a bit more violently. "Jordan!"

Hal jerked awake and sat up, eyes wide. Immediately, he doubled over with a groan and a hand on either side of his head. "What did you do that for?" he complained, face scrunched up and voice woozy. "I was asleep! And now my head is killing me." He made a small pained noise which was more upset than his groan had been.

"Your head?" Perhaps this was much more serious than Thaal had first assumed. Usually, Hal could walk away from the worst assumed injuries to his head and be totally fine despite all the odds.

Degree of concern reaching a new level, Sinestro stood up. "We should return to our room," he told Hal. Once he had Hal settled there, he could assess his condition and figure out if a doctor was required. He cursed himself for letting any of this happen in the first place.

***

For the first part of the journey, Hal stumbled a few times and generally looked unwell. However, he seemed cheerful enough and absolutely refused to allow himself to be carried. "I know how to walk," he said, "stop mother henning me."

In Sinestro's opinion, Hal was not taking this seriously enough - but he never did. So it would of course, fall to Sinestro to cure whatever was ailing Hal, and he sat Hal down on their bed.

Hal yawned widely as Sinestro checked him over. "I think I'm only tired. You can stop worrying so much, Sin. I'm not going to keel over because of a little heat." Playfully, he shoved at Sinestro's shoulder then stood up, though he was definitely unsteady on his feet. "I'm gonna get some water."

With confident strides, Hal headed for the bathroom and Sinestro was about to follow when there was a knock on the door. He hesitated. From what he could tell, Hal really wasn't in serious danger. No toxin was attacking his body and no other obvious issue had presented itself. Yet there was always a chance Thaal had missed something.

The knock sounded again and Sinestro growled under his breath. Could the intruder not simply leave him and Hal alone? Surely no interest in answering was obvious from the lack of a response.

Grinding his teeth together, Sinestro headed for the door and yanked it open. "What?" he spat. This was not the time to irritate him, not when he was consumed by worry for Hal.

An infuriatingly familiar colour filled the doorway. For a moment, Thaal was confused, thinking this Green Lantern was perhaps Hal. But no. Of course not. That would have been helpful to him. Instead, it was some other Green Lantern. They would not receive a warm welcome.

It was a tempting idea to simply slam the door back in the Green Lantern's face. But it would cause temporary satisfaction only. Therefore Sinestro grabbed the Green Lantern by his throat and slammed him into the wall.

The Green Lantern was strong and he was human too. His appearance struck a chord with Sinestro. They had met before. "Simon Baz," Sinestro greeted in a growl. "How exactly did you find me? And what do you want?"

Naturally, since he was being choked, the Green Lantern, Simon Baz, could offer no answer though he did try to. Sinestro wasn't all that interested in remedying the problem. If he squeezed the life out of Baz, this problem he'd run into would be gone. Then he could return to Hal. Why should he not? 

Before Sinestro could make up his mind, Simon kicked him in the knee with one hard well aimed foot. That knee buckled and Simon was quick enough to follow up on his attack and toss Sinestro through the door he'd just exited. "I'm not a rookie anymore, Sinestro," Simon declared.

A grunt of pain was torn from Sinestro's lips as he landed hard on his newly sore knee. He would've cursed himself for being so weak but Simon Baz was there so he directed his anger at the Green Lantern instead. "I'm going to kill you," he snarled back. And he thought he would have if not for the interruption.

***

The bathroom door closed behind Hal and he rested a hand on either side of the sink. Behind his eyes was a sensation of lightheadedness but it passed quickly as he stood there. Just like he'd told Sinestro, he wasn't about to keel over.

One tap was turned on by Hal and he splashed his face with the water. It made him feel a whole lot better and he sighed with relief as the stuffy heat that had been surrounding him backed off. When he had a drink of the water, the uncomfortable dry sensation in his mouth was washed away.

It probably helped, Hal decided, as he sipped down some more water from a construct cup, that the air around him was nice and cool. Definitely preferable to outside. The next place he went to with Sinestro would hopefully be colder too.

Accompanying the thought of Sinestro was a sound of Sinestro's pain. Hal recognised it instantly. One couldn't spend as much time with Sinestro as he had and not learn the sound.

Confused, Hal paused, his cup halfway to his mouth as he hesitated to take another sip. There was nothing around that could cause Sinestro pain. Maybe Hal had just imagined hearing it. After all, he wasn't in the best of states and hallucinations had the tendency to crop up unexpectedly.

The cup dropped from Hal's fingers and he didn't think before dashing to the door. "I'm going to kill you," Sinestro had snarled. It was like Hal's worst nightmare had just come true. Fitting.

All Hal had time to register was Simon standing there, looking way too overwhelmed but ready to fight an enraged Sinestro. Then Hal sprang between the two Lanterns and deflected Sinestro's attack. Will energy rushed through him, increasing his spike of adrenaline and he just wished he didn't have to use it against Sinestro.

There was silence. An unreadable expression crossed Sinestro's face and he got to his feet though favouring one side. His expression was guarded. Was he ready to fight Hal now too?

Despair hooked into Hal and tried to drag him down. What he'd had with Sinestro was so close to shattering.

With difficulty, Hal swallowed the emotion back and focused on Sinestro. It did seem like the Yellow Lantern had been hurt. "You OK?" Hal hurried over to check on Sinestro's leg. No longer was he hindered by any ill feeling.

The second Hal was close enough, Sinestro grabbed him and a sharp yellow construct was directed at Hal's throat. He could feel Sinestro at his back, the tensed muscles and quick breath. "Could you not have waited?" Sinestro murmured to him. "Now our time together must surely come to an end."

If Hal had not rushed to Sinestro's aid, Simon could have died, or Sinestro even. Either option was unthinkable and as much as Hal hated it, that came before his own wants. Just like Sinestro defending himself came before civil conversation. Hal didn't reply.

When Hal had been grabbed, Simon had reacted instinctively and his ring was pointed at Sinestro. "Let him go!" he ordered now and Hal was impressed with the steel in his voice. "Let him go and - and you can go free. I'm not here for you, Sinestro. Just give me Hal."

Unsurprisingly, Sinestro was not convinced, obvious by how he pressed the construct closer to Hal's throat. "You come after me in your search for Hal Jordan? That hardly seems logical."

And so Simon spun a tale of how he'd known Hal was last seen with Sinestro back in Coast City. When he'd started his search, there had been no sign of either one of them - at least until he'd got a tip that Sinestro was to be found on this planet. It was easy then, for his ring had picked up traces of yellow energy and led him straight to Sinestro.

"I wouldn't have attacked you," Simon continued to explain, scowling a little at Sinestro. "But you tried to strangle me. Again. You seem to do that a lot."

It was then that Hal broke his silence with a quiet breathless laugh. "He's got a point there, Sin. You do try to choke people out a lot. Now let me go. You can go do whatever while I…" He suddenly realised he wasn't sure why Simon had been looking for him in the first place. "What am I doing?"

"It's your birthday," Simon quickly answered Hal's questioning look. "Happy birthday. So you'll be attending your surprise -" At that point, Simon cut himself off, clamping a hand over his own mouth. "I'll go wait outside." He ducked out of the room.

With a dissatisfied sound, Sinestro released Hal. "It seems to me that your fellow Lantern is content to leave you to die," he decided. "Am I not a legitimate hostage taker? Or was he merely uninterested in your safety?"

Hal shrugged and turned to face Sinestro. Immediately, he wanted to reach out and grab Sinestro and never ever let go of him again.

"Maybe he doesn't think you're scary," Hal suggested though aware this was prolonging the inevitable only. "Or he's confident I know what I'm doing. That's a first." Sinestro made no comment, just stared at Hal.

There could be no more putting it off even if everything inside Hal was rebelling against the moment. He stepped close, into Sinestro's personal space. This time, he didn't get grabbed and he looked up into Sinestro's face. "Thank you," he said. "For all this time."

He wanted more but that wasn't possible and he couldn't refuse to go with Simon. Sinestro had no doubt guessed that already. If Simon left, more would come and they'd be impossible to fight. It was time for Hal to return to being responsible.

"It was the most perfect week," Hal continued on to say, wanting Sinestro to know this hadn't all been a waste of time. "Best birthday present ever. Thought that was going to be tomorrow though. Alien time is confusing."

Hal ran his fingers through his hair which was a mess because of the water that had dried the strands together. Though Hal pulled a face, Sinestro made no comment.

Head down, arms crossed, Sinestro told him, "If we had been more careful, you wouldn't have to leave. If I had been more careful." Sinestro swallowed, seemed to be having great difficulty, then muttered, "I'm sorry."

That was surprising and Hal's eyebrows shot up. Even if there was some truth to Sinestro being the reason Simon had found them, Sinestro was still being ridiculous. "It's not your fault," Hal quickly assured him and smiled as he touched Sinestro's shoulder. "It was going to happen eventually. "We can't -" The words caught in Hal's throat.

Giving up on talking, Hal wrapped his arms around Sinestro and pulled him down into a tight hug. "I'll miss you," was all he managed to say.

If only Hal had been able to spend more of every possible second with Sinestro over that week, maybe this separation wouldn't be so hard. But what was he supposed to do? Stop sleeping? Next time, Hal decided to himself. He would cut down on the sleep next time.


End file.
